News Briefs: Week of August 27, 2019

Photo by Carmen Cheng | Washtenaw Voice

Campus Connect gets an upgrade

The WCC student social media site Campus Connect was recently revamped with more interactive features and opportunities to discover events and activities on campus. Students can track data like their club memberships and service hours using the co-curricular transcript feature and use a new “event pass” to check in when they attend events. The site also has a new look and keeps timely, relevant information at the top under the “updates” and “latest news” banners.

College closed for Labor Day

WCC will be closed on Sept. 2 for Labor Day and no credit classes will be held the following day, Sept. 3, either. Classes will resume on on Sept. 4.

Last day to ‘drop’ a class varies by start, end date

The last day to drop a class from your schedule and still receive a full refund depends on whether it’s a late-starting class or not and the number of weeks the class lasts. The last date to drop should be posted next to each class you’re taking in your course schedule, but a full list of dates is also available here: wccnet.edu/studentconnection/registration/drop/. Keep track to avoid an unwanted “W” on your transcript in case you can no longer take a class.

New 3+1 agreements

The board of trustees approved nine new 3+1 articulation agreements at the July public board meeting, bringing the total number of 3+1 agreements to 49.

The agreements allow students to use up to 90 credits completed at a two-year college toward a bachelor’s degree.

Seven new agreements apply to Eastern Michigan University and include accounting, management, retail management, supply chain, computer system and networking, graphic design, and retail management.

One new agreement with University of Michigan-Flint was approved in nursing, and one new agreement with Siena Heights University was approved in environmental science.

Bellanca contract extended

The board of trustees voted unanimously to extend the contract of WCC President Dr. Rose Bellanca at its July public meeting.

The board increased Bellanca’s salary 1.5% for 2019-20 and will also provide paid bereavement leave to be used before 2020. The contract will expire June 30, 2022.

Ellucian takes over campus IT services following Board of Trustees vote

The Virginia-based higher education software company Ellucian replaced WCC’s formerly in-house Information Technology Services department this summer after the WCC Board of Trustees voted to approve a proposal for the change.

The proposal was met with public outcry from ITS employees, WCC faculty, staff and students, and some community taxpayers.

Five trustees voted “yes” on the proposal: Christina Fleming, Bill Milliken, Angela Davis, Henry Landeau and Diana McKnight-Morton; two voted “no” and include Dave DeVarti and Ruth Hatcher.

WCC Foundation scholarships still available

The deadline to apply for a scholarship from the WCC Foundation for the fall semester has been extended to Oct. 1. Scholarships are awarded based on a combination of financial need and merit. Applicants must complete the Free Application for Financial Student Aid, or FAFSA, to apply for a foundation scholarship, and a letter of recommendation is recommended. Scholarship amounts range from $250-1000, depending on the number of credit hours the student is taking that semester. For more information and to apply, visit wccnet.edu/services/financial-aid/scholarships/foundation-scholarships/

Lilly Kujawski | Editor
Nicholas Ketchum | Deputy Editor